Monday, November 30, 2009

That means Christmas is around the corner. I don't want anything much this Christmas... just my health.. and that of my family. Another celebration together, and hopefully many more to come. That's all...

That and the satisfaction of my inner fulfillment of materialistic consumerism that is..

Ok.. I really don't want anything at all this Christmas.

Except for...

With the new V series out, and my love for it since watching it as a kid, I want this.

Yeap, I am pretty serious. The uniforms on top are reproductions of the Visitor uniforms from the series in the 80s. The top one is (if I'm not mistaken) that of a commander rank (Diana pakai tiga belang). Yang dua belang tak silap aku is division head. And John, the supreme commander of a fleet, pakai lima belang tak silap aku.

Yang second, below tu, is Martin's costume - which of course he was (again, if I'm not mistaken) security chief head. And the belang emas tuh, sebenarnya is basically the version of the uniform masa V : The Final Battle, which is the sequel to the original miniseries (yang atas skali from the original).

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Early this morning... I caught the online news. And this story was splashed everywhere. Even in our local papers - walaopon ada la satu suratkhabar ni aku takkan sebut nama used a derogatory reference of description.

Read the story from Asia One before I elaborate further why I posted this.

Transsexual staring at big change over 'wrong' photo

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA - A Malaysian transsexual, who married a 30-year-old man in Britain, might be deported back to Malaysia after his Leave To Remain visa was rejected by British authorities over an 'incorrect' photograph.

Mohammed Fazdil Min Bahari or Fatine, 36, recently married property maintenance company owner Ian Young in a civil partnership but was denied his visa in September on grounds that his passport contained an incorrect photograph.

A report in The Sun newspaper in London said Fatine, a make-up artist, was told to go back to Malaysia after his second application was rejected as his visitor visa had expired.

Young was quoted as saying that he could not accept the reasons given for each refusal of the applications.

'Our local MP even got in touch with the Home Office but they won't budge. They say Fatine has to return to Malaysia, which is something we wouldn't be able to do as a couple. Over there, we would face imprisonment just for living together,' he said.

'We feel desperate. Our options are quickly running out. Fatine can re-apply from Malaysia but who knows how long that would take, or if it would even be accepted,' Young added.

He said he and Fatine may be different from other couples but they loved each other and being forced apart was their 'worst nightmare'.

'It doesn't matter to me that she is a transsexual. It's the person she is inside that I care about and love. I can't contemplate the idea of us not being together.

'I look at her and see a beautiful woman,' said Young, who first met Fatine in a Starbucks outlet at the Petronas Twin Towers in August 2006 when he was working as a security officer in Malaysia.

He had asked Fatine if he could take the seat next to her.

'We started talking and I was immediately impressed by how good her English was. When she got up to leave, I asked for her number,' he said.

Fatine then told him that he was a transsexual but Young was not put off and wanted to meet him again even if it was for friendship.

The couple met several times after that and their feelings soon blossomed into love.

In December last year, Young arranged for Fatine to travel to Britain on a visitor's visa but after a month's stay there, the couple applied to the Home Office for a Certificate of Approval to Marry.

The couple then proceeded with a civil partnership, which they hoped would help Fatine in securing a permanent visa.

Head of Immigration for the UK Border Agency, Matthew Coats, said Fatine had entered Britain as a visitor.

'The rules are clear that a visitor must leave the UK within six months but may reapply for a new visa from their country of origin,' he reportedly said.

So why did I post this?

Because Fatin is a friend of mine that I haven't seen in YEARS. Aku last jumpa dia once je... a few years pas aku kawan dia in 1999 ke 2000.

Pic sebelah ni, is a pic of her snapped in 2000 on the job masa dia make up artist for a major make up brand, when she was based working in the Golden Triangle area.

This pic was featured in Time magazine, if I'm not mistaken in July 2000. And yes... if I'm not mistaken too, this issue did not make the stands around Kuala Lumpur for some issues it tackled in it (details are sketchy... so won't confirm that)

I called Fatin to do this interview with a friend of mine who was a correspondent for the magazine and she obliged. She never forced people to accept her - but she wasn't going to crawl into a dark corner and cry about how people treated her for being 'different' in their eyes either.

Before you say anything, yes, it's obvious she's had some work done. She does look different. In fact, I wasn't sure it was her (name, profession matches - though she looks more fabulous than she did then... back then she was cute, now she's really pretty)

When I posted my status with the link to the story, one of my friends who met her through me confirmed it. Hizreen cakap memang Fatin yang kita kenal dulu.

My heart just goes out to her.

She was a pretty, quiet girl yang memang tak kaco sesapa, tak kecoh, tak sama cam adik-adik lain. She minded her own business and lived her life as one of the girls. Which I always thought of her as one - simply because to me - emotionally, she was one.

Aku tanak la debat pasal pe pe. Religious ke cultural ke. I'm talking as a person, Fatin seems very happy now, and it's sad for me, as someone who knew her, that she might lose all that to people who judge her.

God judges. We shouldn't.

And Fatin - all I can say is gurl, my prayers are with you. I hope you're happy, and I pray your happiness will not be taken away.

Tu je nak share... if you guys want to read more, here's another new bite from The Sun in the UK.

Strange kan.. after watching that stupid movie Twilight - New Moon last night, I know there are girls raving about how Bella can be so truly in love with a vampire and a werewolf - and secretly indulge in dream romances like that.

When it comes to reality however - they can't accept true love when they see it. Just because it's a different form from what they're used to.

Fatin - if you happen to come across my blog, contact me gurl. Miss you loads! Been forever since I last saw you. Lots of hugs.

PS - Semalam gi briefing for Project 500. May blog about it later, but not now. Left after the briefing - sebab meka treated those involved to a screening of Twilight - New Moon. Needless to say, I left after it was over to avoid the movie. No way in hell am I going to sit through that crap twice. Once was already one time too much. Had a nice time with friends trolling in Ikea (and yes... I gave in and bought stuff.. sigh) and then Hartamas Square for din din. Be blogging tomorrow.

This is not the best pic of how the jacket looks... trust me both look awesome! But aku partial to the wool blend coat on the right (memang so me) with faux lapel accent, epaulets and yang penting back slit (saja nak nakpak ada bumper sebab like 99% Chinese guys - I have no butt)

In my own words as I said in my Twitter. It's an epic love story about a girl's necrophilia and bestiality fetish! Macam kesial... what the fuck is so romantic about a slut who can't make up her mind whether she want to make up her mind whether to snog a corpse (yes a vampire is still dead - and that qualifies as a corpse) or a dog (DNA sequencing and genetic drift studies reaffirm that the wolf shares a common ancestry with the domestic dog).

So sebenarnya cita ni pasal betina gatal bijik yang sebenarnya nak sangat mayat bergerak, pastuh decided to switch after getting 'dumped' pada anjing lak. Matilah.. and that, my friend, in a nutshell, minus the faux poetry of it all - is the summary of New Moon. Take away the smoke and mirrors and honestly that's what you have.

No, I didn't hate it. My butt hated it cause it was numb after three hours or so. And Mierul and the person next to me hated me cause I snored a little I guess I dozed off when all the corny lines came out in the first 45 minutes.

Doesn't mean I like it though.

It was ok... but I think the first Twilight at least, wasn't near as corny or crappy as this one. Plus, the novelty's worn off. Twilight is the most overrated movie of the vampire genre and I think there are pathetic pre-pubescent girls out there, who are going to be severely disturbed to find that real relationships are severely removed from the 'Twilight' reality.

So the summary of my review for Twilight - New Moon?

What do they find so exciting about a movie about a slut that is catering to her necrophilia and bestiality fetish in her dilemma over which one she should get more turned on by-a corpse or a dog.

It may look almost tacky now, but in when it aired dulu kira paling vogue lah. From the original two part miniseries in 1983, meka siap wat three part sequel miniseries called V : The Final Battle. Pastu sebab popular sangat, they made it into a TV series in 1984 which ran for just a year or so.

No Diana... no guinea pic swallowing or forked tongue yet.. but caught sight of the reptilian skin da. The new motherships too canggih, prefer the old one... but basically the new series is interesting. Da cam movie aku rasa.

These were the two scenes, which may look crappy now - but was the turning point of sci fi TV as we know it when it aired in the 80s. Tanya mak ayah sapa yang terlalu muda.. mesti penah tengok. Aku ingat agik masa kecik tengok, pastu kat skolah kecoh semua nak feeling alien.

And this is the new one. The trailer introducing the 'reimagined' V.

One thing I noticed, and loved - was the homage to the old series. Even without the orange jumpsuit uniforms, the laser handguns, the oversized sunglasses (the old Visitors had issues with photosensitivity -they couldn't be exposed to direct sunlight as it hurt them)... the new series did something I liked.

They used the original Visitors language!

Check this out. These are scenes from the third episode where they enter the immigration facility for the Visitors.

Upon entrance - the sign behind in Visitors language says "We Are Of Peace" - the new series' Visitors tagline

This simply says what it does in English - Perimeter Surveillance

This was more challenging. A secret surveillance room. The sign says "Those Of The Body Only"

And how would I know that?

Because for the longest time, I have been a V fan. This is the V alphabet (as used in the original series - and now in the new one).

So if you decide to write my name, it will look like something on the right.

It's a bit more complex, and I remember being in an V forum where we were actually discussing how to use the alphabets... but da lama da.

Still, it's pretty cool... in fact I remember I wanted to have my name tattooed with a slogan on my neck in V language. Guess with all the hype the new series is getting, it might just be happening.

Thank you to all my friends who showed up for the Malay Mail Relaunch Party!

Firstly an announcement. One of the many that will come concerning the Malay Mail in the next few months.

Step one. Beginning tomorrow.. kira today la - hari Khamis bersamaan 26 November, The Malay Mail is back in its original form (syukur!) with the tagline of The Paper That Cares and will be FREE!!!

Yes, we are the second paper to go free, but content wise akan bertambah meletop!

Circulation pon meledak gituh ke 100,000.

Dan ini baru step one. Tunggu pengumuman lain.. aku tanak jump the gun, tapi sebagai orang dalam, a media revolution is beginning, and the investors and backers are going all out to prove something we've always known... that The Malay Mail has what it takes.

For those yang berminat nak tau, my column, Hear, Say... will no longer be on Thursdays, but on Tuesdays.

Now that I'm done with the announcements, I want to thank so many people (feeling Grammy acceptance).

First to Marion Caunter and Zainal Alam Kadir - my emcees for the night, thank you so much for going crazy and making sure everyone had fun.

Secondly to Atilia and Ning Baizura. Two of the best entertainers around who got the party started, and kept it going with their fantastic voices.

Thirdly, and as importantly, a big THANK YOU to all my friends who showed up. I love you guys. So many of you, sorry kalao miss any names.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

19 friggin' minutes!!! Amik ko! Damn... The last time I ordered Domino's (which was my first - saja nak try tengok ok tak), it was raining cats and dogs, and it only took over 20 minutes je.. to my door.

Dah settle marathon America's Next Top Model dan Project Runway as well as Models of the Runway. Results? Expected... for both. Boring and expected... musim ni tak havoc langsung.

So now I'm left with following Heroes and Glee. Heroes is getting out of control so ok jerk... tapi seb baik ada Glee. Yeay! Sapa lagik follow Glee? Do you guys like it? What's your favourite song so far from the show?

Well... sebelom I get on to the full list of songs that made it, I want to wish congratulations kepada semua lagu yang layak berdasarkan kualiti komposisi dan bukan atas sebab sebab lain ye.

Laser semacam kan? Well, hakikat kan? At the end of the day, some songs yang qualified (memasing paham la mana satu) memang don't belong in the elite league of compositions which will face off kang masa di AJL.

To Yuna and Hujan, congrats - and pada orang kampung aku, Bunkface, you guys are the future of our music where there are talents who also sing their own compositions. You guys, Estranged and Aizat definitely deserve in for the new breed of talents we want to lead the way.

Anyway, a few horrible songs aside, looks like Muzik Muzik kali ni memang planned out well. For the sake of production - memang kali ni a good mix of bands, solo vocals yang power, mellower delivery and pop offerings. All in all, production heaven. Is that good for music in general... entahlah.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

So three short days in Bali. But lots of memories to take back. Yang penting - walaopon rasa kaki nak patah sebab malam Soundrenaline tuh, we had to walk a few kilometers to get to our ride sebab it was parked away from the main traffic which took hours to get out of.

Strangely soothing - the walk that is. That is until the next morning, when I realised that I had done too much walking in Bali. Betis, peha semua rasa cam over exerted sangat. But then again, having fun there, it was a small price to pay.

The next morning - on Monday morning, while everyone else I knew back home was preparing to work, I took a little time out to walk along Kuta beach. Wow... it's almost impossible to imagine that I cam all the way to Bali, Kuta no less, and this was my first real walk on the beach. Because of the packed program, I barely had any time to do anything else.

Headed back to Harris, and packed up. And we rushed to the airport. Kira spend every last second possible in Bali gituh. Damn... I am so going to return here (hear that Leo... plus on top of that makes me wanna go Jogjakarta all the more!)